I find it hard to come up with words to describe my time with a family like this one. I’ll try anyway, but I think the pictures will do better.

Raising three kids in the city is not easy, and doing so in a way that gives them a connection to nature and a true sense of independence is even more of a challenge. This family of five lives near Ocean Beach in San Francisco. The beach is their playground, their sanctuary, and where their kids find a growing sense of freedom.

We wanted to capture their typical weekend morning – coffee and pastries at Andytown on Taraval Street, a walk down to the Ocean Beach dunes, and shoes off splashing around in the cold Pacific Ocean.

I did almost no directing during this session, and mostly stood back and observed. The whole family – kids and parents alike – were at once close and loving and ready to jump off the dunes and get sandy.

There were a thousand tender moments amidst the beautifully wild ones. My hope is that I captured a few that will help them remember what it felt like in this short season of their lives.

Man squeezes baby to cheek in front of sunset and rocky beach.

I’m David, and I photograph Bay Area families that are super proud of where they live. My easygoing presence puts everyone at ease, and I focus on candid emotion and moments of connection. No posing, no stress.

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